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Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has confirmed that an official update on the series’ future will arrive this month, amid reports that its previously-announced Christmas special will no longer be made.
Last week, UK tabloid The Sun reported that the series’ upcoming return was now likely delayed until 2027 or scrapped altogether, as the BBC’s search for a new lead actor continued.
The days since have seen other, credible reports that the special episode has run into production trouble — and there’s a general sense among Doctor Who fans that the show’s future remains increasingly uncertain, without a lead actor, a replacement for Disney+ as a co-funding partner, and following a negative response to its most recent seasons.
Speaking today on BBC Radio 2, Davies was questioned about the series and when a new star might be revealed. He replied as follows:
“You will get an announcement… there’s a press release lumbering through the BBC, which as you know is like the Jurassic period and 57 people have to sign off on every single word. So I promise you, in about a week or two weeks, there will be a press release. And I can hear the gears slowing down even as I say this.”
Word of a press release has immediately sparked fan speculation, with many suggesting that the BBC was planning to confirm either a new funding partner, showrunner or star — though others suggested the news was more likely that none had been found in time for the Christmas special to be made this year.
The series’ current situation is being analyzed in minute detail, with fans debating at length another recent interview with Davies (with UK radio station LBC) in which he noted that he was now “not filming anything until 2027.”
Trusted Doctor Who podcast Radio Free Skaro has reported that the Christmas special hasn’t been worked on this year and — based on its production sources — rather than being cancelled, was never “started to begin with.”
At the same time, writing on private forum Gallifrey Base in remarks later posted by other users on social media, former Doctor Who Magazine editor Tom Spilsbury also cast doubt on whether the special will end up being made, citing current funding issues within the BBC as the cause.
But, today, yet another report has emerged that offers a little more hope. Writing on his Substack blog, Bleeding Cool founder Rich Jonston has suggested that the BBC is moving forward with an alternative, low-budget plan for Christmas using existing sets and without extensive special effects. While what might have been planned as the Christmas special episode may have changed, the report states, something could still materialize this December.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
